Improvement in gas-engines



` RHUGQN.

[GAS ENGINE.

o 9,346: Y Patented Alug. 8, 1865.

ISAF-5M i i nectingrod 5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PIERRE HUGON, or PARIS, FRANCE, AssIGN'oR rro EMILl .Ius'rrrV IMPROVEMENT IN r etnia-lilac|Nesi.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,3416, dated August 8,1865.

-To all 'whom it may concern: v

Beit known that I, PIERRE HUGON, ofParis, inthe Empire ot- France, have invented certain newand luseful Improvements in Gas-Engines; and I hereby-declare that the following is afnll,clear, and exact description ofthe same.

or gaseous compound is inadequate to produce and precision and safety ofac' that regularity tionwhich have been attained in steam-en gines. In fat l have ascertained that, whatever may be the perfection of the apparatus and the care with which the same is maintained in operative condition, there are nevertheless inexplicable and unexpected interruptions which no w and then interfere with the production of the electric spark, resulting in s'toppages oi'. the engine which are incompatible with the regularity and uniformity of action of motive power necessary for industrial ormanufacturing purposes It was therefore my object' to remedy this evil and to vproduce a4 .direct-acting lgas-engine, and I have accomplishedv the same by the construction and arrangement of gasfengine shown in the following description and in theannexed drawings, iny which- Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section; p

Fig. 2, a side and Fig. 3 a plan view of an upright engine constructed in accordancewith tl is my linvention. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 s how the arrangement of two kinds of. slide-valves which may be used for horizontal engines, and Fig. 8 is another. system ot' valves with one lighting and one igniting burner.' v

In the said figures, A is the motive-cylinder; B, the piston; C, .the piston-rod; D, the con- E, the crank; F, the main shaft; Gr, the ily-wheel Il, the frame, which is rendered rigid by means of braces I, and is firmly established upon a baseor foundation plate, J.

valve. i

, L is the valve -for the distribution ofthe gas or detonating compound and for the injection of water. 4

M is a blower or gas-pump, applied for the purpose oi' forming' the detonating-mixture.`

N is the blower or pump used to give the gas the necessary or requisite pressure at the lighting and inammatory or igniting burners. O is the gas-reservoir for supplying the light.- ing` and gniting or imilammatory burners.V

P, Q, and It are the cams which operate the slide-valves K L S. I

` S is the injecti`ng-valve.`

T is the governor, whose function it is to close thetube through which gas is introduced into the mixtnrefand this is .electedfthrongh the cal means known.`

U is the tube within which the mixture of air and gas is produced.

ff are the iniiammatory origniting burners, carrying two small pipes.

m.2 is the gas-suction audcheekingpipe.

the lighting and igniting burners.

- Figs. 4 and 5 are views of a horizontal cylsame as those in the engine represented in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

L of which is arranged to .b oth gas-mixture and to inject the water.

V V are the openings through which thei water is injected. V2 Va V4 V5 are the openings through which the gas is introduced.`

movement to the valves.-

As to Fig. 8, K2 is a valve provided with but one igniting-burner, t2, and with but ing-burner, u, theexhaust in this case taking place at the two extremities, a: while the in duction' is through the orifices y y'. ais a cav- K is the induction, inflammatory, and escape intermediary of a cock or any `other mechanihl h are pipes through which the gas and the g are the inducts and educts of the gas for 4 inder in which'the valves are identically the Figs. 6 and 7 represent a cylinder the valve distribute the v 4t. t' are tappets for imparting the necessary one lighters, (preferably made ot' rubber,)

ity within which air requisite for the combustion of the gas at the igniting-'burner is allowed to circulate.

From the foregoing references it will already be understood that the essential feature of my invention consists in the substitution for the action of the ignition of the explosive gases by means ot' elasticity of the ignition under constant, permanent, and direct action regulated by means of one or more slide-valves.

The valve K serves the purpose ot' introducing into the cylinder the explosive compound, also of intlaming the compound, and of effecting the escape of the gaseous products of combustion. v

When several slide-valves are used I prefer to place above the valve K another, L, the ofce of which is to produce suction or aspiration of the gas in the mixing-tube V and to distribute the detonatin g compound through the valve K; and I also efect, by the same means, the injection at given intervals of time ot' a certain quantity of water into the cylinder, the object and importance of which will-be hereinafter explained.

The slide-valve L is operated by means of two tappets placed upon or attached to the slide-valve K, as seen in Fig. 6, or by means of the cam-rod P, as seen in Fig. l.

' The vertical exigirle represented in Figs.A l, 2, and 3 is composed ot'4 a'cylinder, A, which is provided with a jacket for the circulation of Water, of a metallic piston, B, piston-rod U, connecting-rod D, crank E, main shaft F, &c., as hereinafter referred to. Air pumps or blow- M N O, operated by the cams PQ R, constitute the main appurtenances. The cam Q may be suppressed and the slide-valve L may be operated by tappets on the slide-,valve K, as shown in Figs. 6

and 7. The slide-valve S may also be dispensed with, ifdesirable, in the manner shown in Figs. 6 and 7 Such being the parts of the engine described in illustration of my invention, l shall now proceed to explain its operation.

In the rst place the 1i ghting-burners l l and the igniting and inflammatory burners f f are lighted. The piston B is then placed at either extremity of its stroke, and the engine is started by turning the iiy-wheel by hand. The ports a a2 a3 a4 of the valves K and L are thus placed in communication with the port a of the cyl- A inder at the same time the exhaust-cham berC ofthe slide-yalve K is put in communication with the ports b and dof the cylinder.` The piston B, in descending, is drawing in thedetonating gaseous mixture, which is supplied by the rubber pump or blower M and. the tube U, into which air is admitted, as shown in Figs. l and 2, by suction. The same movement of the piston causes the expulsion through the ports or orifices b c d of the air and the gaseous products of combustion. When the piston is thus come to a certain point--say four-tenths of its stroke-the valve K is returned or slid back, whereby the communication with the ports or orifices a! a2 a3 a4 is closed. vThe inilammatory burnerf will then ignite the detonating-mixture contained in the upper part of' the cylinder. As soon as the inammation ot' the detonating-mixture is effected the piston is moved on forced down with 'a pressure varying according to the quality and quantity of gas contained in the mixture. .When the piston is thus driven to the extremity of its course the operations described with regard to the downward stroke are now being repeated upon thev return-stroke ot' the piston; but they are ei'e'cted through the orifices or ports b b2 b3 b4 andby the inflammatory or igniting burnerf;

At each ignition of the gaseous compound the' iniiammatory or igniting burner is extinguished, because the gases remaining after detonation contain no oxygen to supply the iniiammatory burner. 1t is, however, again lighted by the lighting-burner as soon as, by action of the engine, it is brought in contact with atmospheric air. vThe gas issuing at the burner is maintained under pressure, so that a powerful and permanent jet is produced, which insures regularity7 of action in the lighting-and igniting.

After theI engine is worked for some short time, and the circulation of Water around -the cylinder notwithstanding, the parts become excessively heated, which would necessitate frequentlubrication, and which in consequence would render the operation ofthis class of engines very expensive. To avoid this excessive heating, and to diminish lubrication, l have provided for the injection through the slidevalve S, inthe form of a line shower, and upon y each face of the piston at the moment of the ignition ofthe detonating compound, ofa small quantity of Water, which is regulated at the pleasure of the operator, according to circumstances. The injection of water is effected on top and bottom of the cylinder by-means of small injecting-pumps, which are at the ex'- tremities of water-supply pipes provided with cocks to regulate the quantity of 'Water conveyed to the pumps. The water thusinjected is instantaneously vaporized, and the steam is carried up vto a high temperature. This steam, being added to the steam produced by the direct combination ot gases attending the detonation ofthe compoundin the cylinder, imparts tothe engine amoreregnlanactionand prevents the grease or lubricating substance from being burned.

The slide-valves-KL S, which are constructed and arranged for use in vertical engines, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and '3, may be s bstituted by the valves K Ll and K2 L2 .show in Figs. 6, 7, and 8. lhe valve K' is precisely similar to the valve K; but the valve L differs from the valve L in the disposition of its openings V V V2 VSV'1L V5. The two or'ices V V are used for the direct injection of the Water without recourse to the valve S. To this effect the orifices are I' ade transversely, asl shown in the :of at the extremities'thereof; otherwise the valve L2 performs the same functions as the valve L'.

The part Z, which is placed between the two valves, contains a cavity, a, which allows of the circulation of air necessary for 'the combus-V tion of the gas of the iniiammatory burner.

The pressure of gas at the'burner is regulated by means of the blowing apparatus O and a regulating-valve mounted upo the bellows or blowing apparatus N.

Baving thus fully described my saidinvention and the manner in which the same is or may be carried into eiiect, I would observe that I do not confine myself to the precise construction and arrangementof engine or details as described in the foregoing specication, my invention being susceptible of many modifications without` departure from the principle thereef;` and I claim as my invention- 1. The method herein described of igniting in gas-engines the gaseous detonating compound, in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth-that is to say, by the employment, in combination with yone or more slidevalves, constructed for operation substantially as shown and described, .of one or more lighting and inliammatory or igniting burners, whereby the use of electricity as the medium to ilgnite the said compound` may be dispensed wit i t 2. In gas-engines-that is to say, in engines in which the motive power is a gaseous compound, to be ignited within the cylinder or in any vessel communicating therewith-fthe employment. in combination with the said gaseous compound, of wateror other vaporizing-liquid,

substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth. i

3. The arrangement, substantially as herein described, of the slide-valves for the distriblb' tion ofthe detonatingmixture and for the ig nition thereof of at given intervals of time, in combination with lighting and igniting burners, as .set forth.

4. Thearran gementand combi-nation of parts for the distribution andl injection of water around and into the cylinder, substantially as herein described, and for the purpose set forth.'

5. The general arrangementand combination of gas-engines, substantially as hereinbefore described, and sho wn in the annexed drawings.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speci'dcation before two subscribing witnesses.

4I. HUGON. Witnesses: t

E. SHERMAN GoULD, v C. AMART. 

